Animal Friendships

Twelve-year-old Jessie is in for a long summer at her aunt and uncle’s house. Her cousin Ann has a snotty new best friend, which leaves Jessie all alone. But Jessie is industrious, and - not content with being ignored all summer - she convinces Wes, a grouchy neighborhood dog walker, to take her on as his apprentice. Sure, dog walking turns out to be harder than she expected, but she has Wes’s dog-walking code, the Rules of the Ruff, to guide her, and soon she’s wrangling her very own pack.

Perfect for fans of The One and Only Ivan, this irresistible debut novel combines plucky humor and a whole lot of heart in a story about the true meaning of family. Sometimes flying means keeping your feet on the ground...Born in a dismal room in a pet store, Alastair the African grey parrot dreams of escape to bluer skies. He'd like nothing more than to fly away to a palm tree with his beloved sister, Aggie. But when Aggie is purchased by 12-year-old Fritz, and Alastair is adopted by elderly dance-enthusiast and pie-baker Albertina Plopky, the future looks ready to crash-land.

Best friends Malena and Klepetan always adventure together! The two storks excitedly prepare to fly thousands of miles for the flock’s annual migration to a warm winter. But when Malena is injured, she stays in Croatia while Klepetan goes to South Africa—and the pair must navigate the turbulent winds of separation for the first time. But even over the vast distance, the two brave explorers discover ways to enjoy their separate seasons while keeping their hearts connected—and their hopes aloft that spring will bring them back together.

Clementine is different from other mice: she can calculate the speed of light and she dreams in Latin. The scientists say she’s a genius and put her through test after test. Clementine is proud of being a good lab mouse, but she’s lonely. Her only snatches of friendship occur during her late-night visits with a chimpanzee named Rosie. When a compassionate lab technician frees Clementine, the mouse discovers an outside world full of wonders: brussels sprouts, games of speed chess, television fame, and a chance for a real home. But for Clementine, it’s not enough to be free.

Meet Marty McGuire! Marty would rather spend recess catching frogs in the pond than playing dress-up with the other girls in third grade. So when her teacher casts Marty as the princess in the class play, Marty’s absolutely, positively sure that there’s been a huge mistake! But after a special lesson in the art of improvisation, Marty comes up with her own plan to improve the play. Maybe a princess in muddy sneakers can live happily ever after, after all!

One by one, the other birds fly into her tree, wanting to talk or to play, but the Go-Away bird just shakes her head and sends them all away. But then the dangerous Get-You bird comes along, and she soon realises that she might need some friends after all. The Go-Away Bird is a brilliant rhyming story from Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo, and the award-winning Catherine Rayner.

Welcome to the Puppy Place! Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters these young dogs, giving them love and proper care, until they can find the perfect forever home. Barkley takes Lizzies breath away... literally! Barkley, the Great Pyrenees, is a ball of energy, and far too big for the apartment he has been living in. Lizzie does her best to teach him manners, but she can't make him smaller! Then Lizzie stumbles on what just might be the perfect place for this protective, patient pup. Can Lizzie help Barkley get settled in his dream home?

Corgis Unleashed: Adventures in Short Legs invites listeners into the charming world of Greenfield, where a pack of spirited corgis and their devoted human companions embark on heartwarming adventures that celebrate the joy of life and the power of friendship.

I'm Rappy the Raptor, and I'd like to say I may not talk in the usual way. Meet Rappy the Raptor, a velociraptor who speaks in rhymes all of the time, whether it's morning or noon, October or June. Now, how did it happen that he started rappin'? Well, here's Rappy's story in all its glory!

Rabbit, Duck, and Big Bear are best friends. They do everything together and go everywhere together except for one place. They never go down the long and winding path together. But this winter, when Rabbit, Duck, and Big Bear go skating on the frozen pond, Rabbit loses control and barrels straight down the path. What she finds there is one of the most beautiful places she has ever seen, but to her surprise, Big Bear and Duck both admit they sometimes go there when they want to be alone.

After Arthur calls Francine a marshmallow, she refuses to speak to him. Then Mr. Ratburn pairs them up for a homework project. They reluctantly go to the library for research and, when the library closes, find themselves locked in. Will Arthur and Francine set aside their differences and work together to find a way out?

There's certainly a "buzz" in the cafeteria when Buzz brings Fly Guy to school. Can Fly Guy save the day when everyone's favorite lunch lady is fired and replaced with a horrible cook?

Now that Abby knows which of her so-called friends is the one behind the video of her talking “trash” on Emery, she’d love to do something with that information—if only her blackmailer didn’t know Abby’s one real secret, the one she can’t risk getting out. So, Abby’s stuck. And, to make matters worse, she’s so rattled by the drama that it’s affecting her performance on Beau. Abby wants to be as great a rider as Sasha Silver, but how can she do that when she’s making rookie mistakes?

Featuring the only Monster in Cutesville, Love Monster is a wonderfully warm and witty look at how sometimes, when you least expect it, love finds you… From a phenomenal picture book talent. It can be tough being the only funny-looking Monster in Cutesville, but this Monster is not one to hang around and feel sorry for himself, so he’s off – out into the big wide world to look for someone to love him.

Life is good for Pupper, too, even though he worries a lot, about things like giant squirrels. If he were braver, he might even be a hero. Maybe even a hero who can fly! But heroes aren’t afraid of giant squirrels. When Doggo and Pupper meet a baby bird who also has worries, they are determined to help. Doggo and Pupper may not know how to fly, but they are very good helpers. Maybe they are even heroes!

It's the end of the summer, which means it's time for Carnival! And Hotel Flamingo, the sunniest hotel in town, is all set to join the party. Animal Boulevard is a riot of colour, and every establishment is preparing a float for the annual procession. Anna is determined to win the prize for Hotel Flamingo for the best display, despite rival hotel the Glitz having won it every year since the Carnival began. But disaster strikes! The rainy season comes early, and high winds and torrential rain lash down across the Boulevard. Can Anna save the Carnival and the day?

Following a devastating earthquake and tsunami, a young man in Japan finds a stray dog outside a convenience store. The dog’s tag says “Tamon,” a name evocative of the guardian deity of the north. The man decides to keep Tamon, becoming the first in a series of owners on the dog’s five-year journey to find his beloved first owner, Hikaru, a boy who has not spoken since the tsunami. An agent of fate, Tamon is a gift to everyone who welcomes him into their life.

A science experiment gone horribly awry has granted Max, Rocky, and Gizmo the unique ability to read and understand human words. Armed with this know - how, they continue to journey south, on the lookout for beacons planted by a trusted friend's owner - beacons that promise to lead the trio to their people. When the companions reach the ocean's edge, they find a free-spirited beachfront community.

Cracker is one of the U.S. Army's most valuable weapons: a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. Rick is headed to Vietnam to prove to everyone who didn't think he was cut out for war that they were wrong. When Cracker is paired with Rick, she isn't so sure about this new owner. He's going to have to prove himself to her before she's going to prove herself to him. They need to be friends before they can be a team, and they have to be a team if they want to get home alive.

A brilliant collection of bestselling stories from Julia Donaldson and friends, read aloud by stars Floella Benjamin, Lauren Laverne, Alex Jennings, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant and Saskia Wickham. Perfect for listening to at home, in the car, at bedtime or any time at all! Head off on a...